Comfort-Matic Gearbox V New 9 Speed Automatic Gearbox

[QFour]

Wow what a difference. Fiat have now got a fully automatic gearbox with torque converter and what a difference it makes. Having had two Comfort-Matic MHs and driven some 50,000 miles I have to admit that the new gearbox is something else. Gone is the lag while the Comfort-Matic changed gear always at the wrong time and the delay while it selected N before it would start. The gear changes in the new box are hard to detect. It just gets on with the job. You have no idea what gear it is in it just shows ' D ' on the display. Only downside is you have to use the brakes more as there is hardly any engine braking. So first 300 miles is a big thumbs up. It even has Stop / Start which can be switched on / off and three different drive styles ( Sports, Normal, Eco )

 

[The laird]

Bloody snob showing us all up

 

[Nabsim]

I always prefer a full automatic in cars, some semi auto’s better than others though. Worse I had in a car was a Citroen C4 coupe, think it was a 6 speed box and it had paddle shift on the wheel as well as a stick. Put me off paddle shifts for good but you can get excellent versions but out of my price range.

 

[trevskoda]

I would not like to be going down hill when the brakes over heat and fade stick shift every time.

 

[mark61]

Van brakes have come a long way, you have to be a complete numpty to over heat brakes on current vans, I know, I've tried

Can change down in an auto, still got a stick, buts it's very short.

 

[Nabsim]

I would not like to be going down hill when the brakes over heat and fade stick shift every time.

I have never compared an auto with same model manual Trev so could well be wrong but always suspected autos had uprated brakes. Only time I have had a problem with serious brake fade was in a Saab 900 racing over the Cat and Fiddle to test out performance after fitting some competition rally pads. Suffice to say I changed both pads and underpants when I got back home lol

 

[RichardHelen262]

Our motorhome is a Sprinter auto and when going down hill and braking it drops down gears, and can also drop down manually if needed

 

[Nabsim]

Our motorhome is a Sprinter auto and when going down hill and braking it drops down gears, and can also drop down manually if needed

My Sprinter does that but is the Sprinter a true auto? I have the 6 speed Sprintshift ambulance box and it is impressive

 

[RichardHelen262]

My Sprinter does that but is the Sprinter a true auto? I have the 6 speed Sprintshift ambulance box and it is impressive

We have the 7 speed auto and is just superb, our last one had the 5 speed auto which was good except uphill if it dropped from 5th to 4th as it was a big difference and would send the revs up high

 

[mark61]

6 Speed Sprintshift is a robotised manual like the comfort matic.

Dropped in 2006 for the NCV3 range in favour of conventional auto with torque convertor. First 5 and then 7 speed option available.

 

[Nabsim]

6 Speed Sprintshift is a robotised manual like the comfort matic.

Dropped in 2006 for the NCV3 range in favour of conventional auto with torque convertor. First 5 and then 7 speed option available.

Thought it was a semi in mine but wasn’t certain as it’s really smooth

 

[mark61]

Thought it was a semi in mine but wasn’t certain as it’s really smooth

So many terms these days I don't know what anything is called anymore

To me, and I think traditionally, a semi automatic is like what a load of old buses had. The driver had to change gear manually with a stick, but the clutch was automatic, ie, no clutch pedal. I think that's right?

The modern robotised manuals or I think electrohydraulic?, the computer will change gear and operate clutch, although the driver can over ride gear changes.

Could well be the terms are interchangeable. With the SprintShift, you can change manually without a clutch pedal, so I guess is a semi automatic, or you can let the van do both and it's a robotised manual.

I never had a Sprinter with the SprintShift, but VW carried on using it in the Crafter, I used one of those for a bit, as you say really smooth and worked well. The only problem I had with it, was it was a complete pain to reverse with a trailer, especially up hill and into tight spots, and I towed a lot at the time.

 

[Nabsim]

I just work off classification for driving license as I only ever took my car/van test in an automatic. First time I was going to buy a car listed as a semi auto was the Citroen C4 with the 6 speed box. You could leave it to do everything itself, knock it up and down using the stick or that had flappy pedals as well. When I queried with DVLA they said I was okay so long as no clutch pedal.
As to technical classifications there are a few, full auto I class as torque converter but the van dorn box is also full auto but that used belts and cone pulleys. Bought off Skoda by Volvo and then I think Ford bought out, any form of CTX gearbox is based on that system. Then there are electronic and manual robotised/fly by wire gearboxes, single auto clutch, double and probably more clutches now.

 

[mark61]

Yes, Van Doorne box fully auto, very strange to drive, or they were years ago, probably improved a lot. Developed by DAF for their little cars, before Volvo bought DAF cars.

 

[SimonM]

Yes the little Dafs were strange little cars, the 33 had a single drive belt whereas the others had 2. But also, unknown even to some garages, was that they used a conventional setup clutch, cover, plate and release bearing with centrifugal operation

 

[Nabsim]

I remember getting a Ford Fiesta with a CTX gearbox not longer after they started doing them, I think the belts were changed for chains in them but still worked with cones. Weird thing to drive, you could floor the throttle and engine sounded like you were racing along but it only slowly built up speed. They were economical and well suited for city driving I expect.

On the motorways you could build up speed to overtake but if you had to slow at all you needed to pull back in and start building up again. They reckon you could go as quickly in reverse as forwards at that time. Don’t know it’s it was true but frightened myself how quick it did go on a deserted Ainsdale beach.

It put me off CTX gearboxes and have avoided them ever since. This was the first ones Ford did though and many years ago, would think they are much better now